Fabric Care Guide
Stripe & Stare knickers - they’re soft, they’re sleek, and they’re sustainable. But how on earth do you wash them? Thankfully, our knickers and garments are very easy to care for. However, as with any delicate fabric, you should know a few things if you want to keep your knickers luxurious for longer. Below, we’ve covered all the tips and tricks needed to keep your underwear at its best. From how to wash to the best ways to store knickers!
Caring for your products
How to wash
Fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal is a luxury that requires a little more TLC than other alternatives such as cotton. For the best results, you should hand wash your knickers and garments with warm water. Hand washing is the best wash method as it helps to prevent the material from snagging or being damaged by other items.
Submerge the item in water and gently wash it with your hands to evenly distribute the detergent. Allow your garments to soak for up to 30 minutes, as this will help the detergent to clean the fabric effectively. Finally, remove your items and rinse them well by running cool water over them until the water runs clear.
We appreciate that hand washing isn't the most convenient solution, so our next best advice is to machine wash in a net bag on a cool, 30 degree wash. A net bag will allow the water and soap to effectively cleanse your garments whilst protecting them from the damaging throws of the wash cycle. We’d also recommend washing with similar colours and turning your garments inside out for extra protection! Shop our Laundry Bags here.
Avoid bleach and fabric softeners
Your go-to laundry detergent is perfectly fine for your our underwear. However, you should avoid using bleach or fabric softeners. Fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal is delicate, so the harshness of bleach can be damaging to it. Similarly, fabric softeners coat the textile with chemicals, which can harm you and the environment. This layer of chemicals also hinders certain characteristics of fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal, including its breathability and moisture absorbency.
Similarly, we recommend not overdosing the water with too much detergent. This won’t make your clothes any cleaner and can do more harm than good! Fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal is naturally super-soft and luxurious, so fabric softeners aren’t necessary. It also becomes softer with every wear without compromising quality, so you don’t have to depend on damaging chemicals!
Does fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal fibres fade?
One of the great advantages of fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal is its ability to hold and maintain colour. So, whether opting for our neon, pastel, or patterned knickers, you can keep their colour bold and vivid with the right care and attention!
However, it’s important to note that with new garments that are brightly coloured or neon dyed, you may experience colour rub; but with wash and wear, the colour will fade subtly. To preserve the vibrancy, stick to hand-washing bright colours in a cool wash.
How to dry your knickers
As with the washing process, it’s equally important to dry your garments as gently as possible. You should hang dry for the best results, as the tumble-dryer can damage your garments.
If you have hand-washed your garments, you mustn’t wring the moisture out of the fabric as this can hurt the fibres. Instead, press the fabric until the water is removed and the fabric is ready to hang dry. You can place your garments on a hanger, a line, or a clothes horse – just be careful not to subject them to too much direct sunlight or heat.
Can you iron fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal?
If you don’t own a steamer, you can instead use an iron to remove wrinkles from fabric with TENCEL™ Modal. However, it’s important to be gentle and not subject your garment to too much heat. To safely iron garments with TENCEL™ fibres, hover the iron over your garment using the steam setting or gently press using a warm - but not hot - setting.
Removing wrinkles from fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal
Fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal is naturally wrinkle resistant. However, if your garments have wrinkles after washing, you can use a steamer to remove them.
How to store fabric containing with TENCEL™ Modal
After you have washed and dried fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal, it’s important to store it correctly. This will help your garments to maintain their shape and quality and stay luxurious for longer.
Most items, such as underwear, including our knickers, bras can be folded and placed in your underwear drawer until their next use. However, clothes such as tops should be stored on a hanger to prevent wrinkling.
Though it is durable and long-lasting, fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal is also delicate, so it’s important to treat it as such. Though it might be tempting, you should avoid using bleach and other harsh products to tackle stains.
Instead, rinse the stain immediately using cold or lukewarm water. Do not scrub or aggressively rub the stain, as this may drive the stain further in and irritate the fabric. If rinsing the stain doesn’t work, you can instead try spot cleaning the stain by using a gentle fabric cleanser, such as a wool laundry detergent. Wool laundry detergents are mild, gentle, and won’t damage the fibres, making them a great choice for stubborn stains. Gently dab and spot clean the stain with a clean, damp cloth until the stain is lifted. Then, wash the item as you normally would.
To ensure it doesn't shrink in the wash, we recommend washing in a net bag on a cool, 30 degree wash or by hand. Dry flat and avoid tumble drying.
Fabric containing TENCEL™ Modal is known for its good dimensional stability, meaning it generally maintains its shape well over time and is less prone to significant stretching compared to some other fabrics, especially natural fibres like cotton. However, like any material, it can experience some degree of stretch over time, especially with repeated wear and use.
With bright and neon dyes, there may be colour rub when new. With wash and wear the colour may fade subtly overtime. Hand or cool washing will help preserve the vibrancy of bright colours.
